Studies Conclude Firefighters Twice as Likely to Develop Cancer

According to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network, more firefighters have been diagnosed with cancer in the past two years than in the previous 10 years.

The alarming statistic comes from a combination of studies and reports that concluded that cancer development is often a combination of factors, many of which are preventable.

Exposure Risks During a Fire

Firefighters are often exposed to dangerous chemicals emitted during fires that can linger in the air long after a blaze has been extinguished.

Firefighters who began their careers in the 1960s and 1970s often recall going into fires without masks or with very little breathing protection because the risks of chemical exposure were largely unknown. In addition many firefighters believed that fighting a fire with reduced safety equipment was more "macho."

Recently a study of air samples from 25 fires in the Phoenix area showed 20 contained higher than allowable levels of carbon monoxide, formaldehyde or sulfur dioxide air after the fire had been put out.

In addition firefighters are susceptible to asbestos exposure from building materials found in older structures. When asbestos containing materials disintegrate, their fibers can linger in the air and be inhaled or settle on equipment.

Another point of exposure is soot that accumulates on firefighters and their equipment. Soot itself is a mixture of impure carbon particles created during combustion and smaller particles can affect the lungs if inhaled.

This has led many firefighter organizations to emphasize cleaning equipment after fires and recommending firefighters keep their masks on even after a fire has been put out.

Exposure Risks in the Firehouse

Another factor thought to contribute to the cancer rates is the fact that sleeping quarters in many firehouses were often located in close proximity to the trucks themselves. The exhaust from diesel engines combined with inadequate ventilation exposed firefighters to aromatic hydrocarbons including benzene. As a result many firehouses have now been renovated and newer ones place sleeping areas as far away from the trucks as possible.

Many firehouses used asbestos in their fireproofing and as a result some firefighters were exposed to asbestos fibers as the material decayed or was disturbed.